Game Developers Association of India

Freemium Game Economies

The GDAI whitepaper "Freemium Game Economies" examines the free-to-play commercial model in India and argues that it is a legitimate, widely adopted revenue structure that should not be conflated with gambling.

• The GDAI whitepaper argues that free-to-play, which includes in-app purchases, advertising, sponsorships, and subscriptions, generates roughly 75–80% of global mobile game revenue and should not be conflated with gambling.
• Closed-loop virtual economies, where currency cannot be withdrawn, redeemed, or converted into real-world value, are argued to serve only to pace gameplay and enable progression, placing them outside the 'online money games' targeted by PROGA 2025.
• The paper contrasts closed-loop titles such as Candy Crush and BGMI with open-loop real-money formats, which are regulated under the RBI's payment-instrument licensing framework and the statutory definition of an online money game.